How To Find Your Art Style

I'm here to answer the age old question...How do I find my art style? A lot of people will tell you that there is no clear path to your style and that it comes naturally with time and practice and LOTS of patience. But the truth is that there are a number of things you can do to help coax it out and define what you have to say as an artist.

The first thing to consider is what style do you enjoy painting. This may be a question that caters more towards the natural side of defining your style. But it can be an important step in figuring out HOW you use your tools to express what you want to say. So we are talking about how art is categorized by a set of recognizable art styles. I'm sure you've heard many of these terms, such as impressionism, realism, pointillism, etc.

For example, my style would be Idealism. The easy way to describe Idealism is to say that I romanticize my subject matter then paint it how I see it. Idealism is a subcategory of Realism. I would say there is also a little bit of Stylization in my art, which isn't necessarily a style, but it can be helpful to be able to identify those things in your work. Once you've identified which common art style you paint in or wish to paint in, finding your personal style will be easier.

The second step is to make a list of things you enjoy. It is important to identify things you are passionate about outside of art, so that you can apply those passions honestly. There is no point in painting if you are not being authentically you. And the more passionate about a subject you are, the more passionately you will be able to paint it. So take the time to really know yourself and fall in love with yourself and your passions.

For example, my list would look like this:

Rain/Storms

Mycology

English Countryside/Cottagecore

Red Foxes/Badgers

Vintage Nature Books

Now, some of the things from your list may be more abstract concepts that you may not think can be applied to your art. Like Rain/Storms, but the fact is, I do paint those things. Any landscapes I make always have cloudy, gray skies.

The third step is to make a list of things you enjoy painting (or if you are just starting out, a list of things you want to paint). This will most likely (and should) be influenced by your list above. Identifying the subjects you like painting the best will influence the subjects you paint in the future, and the ones you spend more time becoming more familiar with. I used to think it was wrong to paint the same subject over and over, but I was wrong. Doing so helps you grow as an artist and hone your skills. And painting similar subjects will help you start to form a style. A lot of people don't think subject matter...matters when it comes to finding your style, but it absolutely does! It is one of the quickest ways another person can identify your work. Now I feel like most of my work is mushroom related (Mycology), I also paint A LOT of Red Foxes/Badgers. Though that may be influenced by the fact that I'm making fox and badger zines at the moment!

So My list would look like

Mushrooms/Mycology

Red Foxes/Badgers

Flowers/Foliage

Reptiles/Herpetology

Birds/Ornithology

I determined that list simply by looking at the art around me and picking out subject matter that seemed to be reoccurring. This is probably the easiest step to determining your style because you are just identifying things that you have painted out of passion and joy.

The fourth step is to take in inspiration from other artists. But listen closely, this is very important...follow artists who make art completely different from your own. Maybe they paint differently, but they have similar subjects. Maybe their subjects are vastly different, but they paint in the same medium. It is okay to be inspired by artists similar to yourself, but you have to be careful because it is easier than you think to slip into copying as opposed to being inspired. This is why it is so much better to be inspired by artists who do things differently! If you like an element from that artist's work and decide to use it in your own way, there is no way it would ever be too similar or an accidental copy. Being able to identify elements or subjects you like by looking at art that is not your own is a great way to begin curating your style. We tend to look at art from other creatives with less of a critical eye. So being able to say "hey, I like that" to someone else's work is so much easier than saying that to our own work! This will help tremendously in finding your style because you never have to worry that your art is too similar to something else out there, and know that what you are painting is coming from that place of passion.

The last step you can take is to identify your color palette. Doing this will help inform your color palettes for future pieces. Even if you don't think you have a color palette, you do! I didn't think I had one, but I sat down one day and looked at all of the paintings around me and identified it. I paint how I see things in nature, so I'm not reinventing color palettes here, and thought "you can't have an identifiable color palette if you're just painting things how they are" but the truth is that you can! What colors do you enjoy using for backgrounds? What colors do you enjoy using for accents? What is your favorite color to paint with? There are colors that you use repeatedly without even knowing it. The important step to take is to purposefully use it in the future.

My color palette looks something like this:

Yellows of various shades (I tend to use these for backgrounds)

Red (I tend to use this for accents)

Shades of reds and browns (I usually use these in actual subject matter like mushrooms and foliage)

Greens of various shades (I use these for backgrounds as well as natural elements like grass)

A lot of these rules are things that you would do repetitively, and being repetitive is a major component to finding your personal style as an artist. Keep painting the things you want to paint over and over, and you will find your style. Keep using colors you love and you will find your style.

I can't stress enough how important it is to know yourself as a person before you know yourself as an artist. This was the turning point for me in my search for my style.

I also think it is worth noting that having a special or unique style is not always as important as others may say. I do also agree that it can mostly come naturally and over time.

I put a little gallery at the top of this post to show you examples of my work if you aren't familiar. If you would like to see more of my art, you can find me on instagram.

Feel free to leave any questions you have about finding your style. If you would like further help identifying your style, please leave a comment and I would be happy to help you! Or if you have any further suggestions on how to find your art style, I would love to hear!

♥